How to Refine Petroleum

Refinery

Around the globe, politicians, economists and social scientists talk about the price of a barrel of oil and wonder how current oil production can continue to supply human needs. Many people in and out of government advocate increased drilling and production as the solution. They rarely mention the refining process, despite the fact that we must refine petroleum before we can use it to power our factories, heat our homes and drive our cars. Oil refining is a process, or series of steps, that yield a desired product. Chemical engineers manipulate the process to create a wide variety of output.

Things You'll Need

• Advanced degree in Chemical Engineering
• Petroleum refinery
• Crude oil

Instructions

1. Assay, or evaluate, your petroleum. When it comes out of the ground, crude oil includes a variety of different hydrocarbons, including paraffins and olefins, naphthenes and aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition, the oil might have traces of sulfur and metals, especially nickel and vanadium. Refining technicians can manage the refining process more efficiently when they have an accurate evaluation of the components in the oil.

2. Distill your petroleum. Each component in the oil boils at a different temperature. After assay, the refining process begins by heating the oil to separate its various components, a process known as fractionation. Atmospheric distillation will create a column of vapor and liquid. The components will cool as they rise; each turns to liquid at a unique temperature and settles on its separate collection tray. Fractions may be usable after distillation, or they may be processed again or blended with other products.

3. Collect the light distillates and process them to make gasoline and jet fuel. Collect the middle distillates and turn them into diesel fuel and furnace oil. Send the portion of the petroleum that did not vaporize for a second round, called vacuum distillation.

4. Vacuum distill the heavy hydrocarbons. High temperature and low pressure let the component parts of the heavy distillate vaporize without “cracking,” or breaking, them into shorter hydrocarbon chains. Sent the vacuum gas oil on for further processing. Collect the heavy residue to make asphalt, wax, coke and other products.

5. Continue to process your products until you create the desired final product, anything from plastic to nylon to asphalt.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't fool around with petroleum products; you can hurt yourself and those around you if you make a mistake.